As college application deadlines draw near, students have the chance to meet college admissions officers at SIS. The visits started on Sept. 1 and last until late October, with pre-registration available before visits. Colleges and universities such as Williams College, George Washington University, Wake Forest University, University of Notre Dame, and others are sending the primary admissions officers for SIS.

“There’s a level of excitement,” Kelcey Edwards, director of guidance and college counseling, said. “There hasn’t been any international travel for admissions people since the fall of 2019, so this is a great opportunity to showcase what our community is about. I have made a decision to host these in the atrium because I want there to be visibility and accessibility to all students in the high school to pique some awareness of some campuses that aren’t as well known.”

Though the event’s focus is on the Senior Class, all high school students are welcome to participate. The visits allow students to uniquely interact with the admissions officers because not all students get the same opportunities to physically visit campuses.

“It’s an opportunity to get to learn more about the colleges,” Katherine Richardson (12), a participant in the event, said. “That includes asking about what the academics are like, or if the college focuses more on projects or tests. If someone wants to apply to a set of colleges, they should attend all their visits so that they can compare the experiences for an easier decision.”

The importance of the visits is greater for the Senior Class because if they plan to attend one of these colleges, the admissions officers at the event would be the ones reading their applications. They can ask questions about the admission process or the specific colleges the representatives are from. Most students get their information from online research as they search for acceptance rates, the application process, graduation rates, and other important factors, but admissions officers can provide insight into details that are not easily accessible online.

HSSC members have been asked to represent the school at the visits.

“Some people think they have one college option here,” Matthew Halter, HSSC adviser, said. “Instead of just going in and talking to others, getting different options. The hope is that we would see more involvement from sophomores and juniors, starting to talk to the admissions staff, getting their foot in the door, making those introductions.”

HSSC members are required to attend some events to welcome the admissions officers to the school. The HSSC aims to have students for every college visit, so colleges that might not be as popular will also have participants and a chance to bring attention to their university.

“Often there is not a lot of attendance for some universities,” Philip Ham (12), a participant in the event, said. “Regardless, they still have a lot of value. When you have representatives come from the college, they offer a more complete perspective on the school than from online resources.”

This event prioritizes students who wish to continue their studies in the US as most of the colleges are from different states. Any grade can get something out of the visit, whether they have an idea of which college they are interested in or not